Spider Flowers (Cleome hassleriana) Plant Profile

Spider Flowers (Cleome hassleriana) is an annual flower that blooms in mid-summer to early fall. It is also known as Grandfather’s Whiskers and Spider Legs.
The flowers are usually pale to dark pink, purple, or white. The foliage is palm-shaped and the stems are somewhat spikey. It is native to South America and is hardy to USDA Zones 10-11.
It can grow to several feet tall, depending on the variety. It is surprisingly sturdy and normally doesn’t need staking. There are more than 180 kinds of Cleome including the fragrant ‘Rose Queen’ and the compact ‘Linde Armstrong’. ‘Señorita Rosalita’ is a newer introduction that is thornless, odorless, and sterile.
Cleome does best in full sun and well-draining soils. They are fairly drought-tolerant and do not need fertilizing. They will die after being hit by a frost.
Hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators are highly attracted to this plant. Some theorize that bats are the main pollinator of this plant in its native tropical habitat.
Cleome are easy to start from seeds and they are prolific reseeders.
Cleome: You Can Grow That!
The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.
Audio, text, and editing by Kathy Jentz
Video by Christine Folivi
Photos courtesy of Proven Winners, www.provenwinn...
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[@sl5311]

According to Ontario Rock Garden germination science it needs to have oscillating temperatures as well as sunlight to grow. This makes it hard to start them indoors on a heat mat.

[@GardenDCPodcast]

Good point. I should have been super-clear that I meant directly sown seed in the soil and not starting the seeds indoors.

[@sl5311]

@@GardenDCPodcast No worries. I know this because I tried and tried to grow them under lights. That's when I leanred about Ontario Rock Garden website. Thought you would want to include the info :)

[@Tralfaz190]

I saw a picture of a cleome plant and it looks like marijuana then I found out what it was and heard the flowers are beautiful. I wonder can they be grown in West Texas?

[@GardenDCPodcast]

Yes, it does look a little bit like MJ. And YES, you can grow it in West Texas. As a matter of fact, there is a native Cleome in that region- Cleome multicaulis (Many-Stemmed Spider-Flower) according to New Mexico Rare Plants (nmrareplants.unm.edu) Its distribution is: New Mexico, Grant and Hidalgo counties; Wyoming, south-central Colorado, southeastern Arizona, western Texas...

[@Tralfaz190]

@@GardenDCPodcast thank you it's good news to know that there is a member of the cleome family native to West Texas

[@GardenDCPodcast]

@@Tralfaz190 You're welcome.